*3rd pov*
Steven got into his car.
Steven then put in a cassette tape and a song started to play. He then hit the road.
"Teens by day,
hey, we're all right!
Teens by day, but, every night we're,
Sadie killer and the suspects!
Whoa oh oh,
Sadie killer and the suspects!"
The sang to the song as he then drove to the pastry shop Lars had opened up, Spacetries. Steven was dropping by to see Lars and may as well get the cake.
Steven walk inside and saw Blue Lace Agate rolling out some dough.
"Hey, Blue Lace." Steven said.
Blue Lace then smashed the dough as a way of saying 'hi' and some flour dust flew up into the air which made Steven cough but he was also laughing.
"Hey Lars!" Steven exclaimed to Lars who was on the other side of the counter.
"Hey, Steven! Here to pick up the cake?" Lars asked.
"Yeah, but I also want to see how you're doing." Steven said.
Steven heard the door to the place open so he looked at who came in. It was Sadie who had a new look. Her blond hair was in a high ponytail, she had a white shirt on with black jeans, and a blue hoodie was tied around her waist.
"Hey, Steven! Hi, Lars!" She exclaimed, walking inside.
"Sadie! Oh my gosh. I can't remember the last time we were all together in a pastry establishment." Steven exclaimed.
"Hey Sadie, I've got your moon cakes." Lars said.
"Thanks!" Sadie exclaimed as Lars handed her a box which had her moon cakes inside.
"Sure. So, how's stuff going with Shep?" Lars asked.
"Huh? Shep?" Steven asked, looking at Sadie.
"Great! They're so cool." Sadie exclaimed, blushing.
"I can't believe we've been dating for almost two months now. Everything just feels so...easy!"
"That's...awesome. Say 'hi' to them for me." Lars said.
"Will do! Well, see you later." Sadie said, walking to the door.
"Yeah." Lars said. As soon as Sadie was out the door, Steven turned to Lars.
"What was that, and who is Shep?!" Steven asked.
"Shep is Sadie's new partner. They met while she was on tour with the suspects. It's cool." Lars said.
"Is it?" Steven asked him.
Lars and Sadie use to date so he was wondering if something was going on.
"Yes, it is. Besides, I'm leaving anyway. Now that the Off-Colors are done with school, we're going to head back into space." Lars said.
The Off Colors is a little group of gems that in Era 2, they were, well, off, from the other gems but not anymore.
Steven then gasped.
"But what about the shop?" Steven exclaimed.
"I asked Blue Lace to take over. I'm ready to move on. You get it, right? You're finished setting up the school. Don't you want to try something new for a try?" Lars asked.
"Well, I..." Steven started to say but then started to think for a moment.
"Oh, looks like the graduation cake is ready." Lars said and Steven looked over to see Blue Lace with the cake in a box.
"I'll see you tonight, Steven."
"Yeah..." Steven said.
Leaving the shop, Steven sat in the car. He thought abot going back to little homeschool to see decorations all prepared butdecided first to look around in confusion.
He wondered what confusion is bugging him though. was it what Lars said? 'don't you want to try something new?'
He maybe gor a point there...but Steven doesn't need anything new, he has responsibilities and everyone needs him. He now questioned how true that is now. The gems were handling it pretty well without him, especially with Vidalia, Jamie and everyone there.
'No. Steven you're thinking too hard about it'
Getting back into his car, Steven drove to little homeschool to check if the decorations were prepared for tonight.
At night, the graduation of the Off Colors was being held on the beach. There were tables set up with food and a stage with the graduates and Steven. The guests were in front of the stage.
"We're all proud to see our graduates evolve and be there for each other as everyone moves on to bigger and better things and new and exciting places. Well, except for me. I'll still be...right here." Steven said as he announced for the Off-Colors.
"Alright, graduates. Move those tassels!"
The Off Colors moved their tassels from their right to their left.
"And with that, let's give them a hearty con-grad-ulations!" Steven exclaimed.
The Off Colors then threw their graduation caps off there heads and up into the air. The Off Colors then went down to enjoy the party.
He then falls to the ground when he noticed Sadie and Shep.
"Steven! I don't think you've had a chance to meet my new partner." Sadie said.
"Hey! I'm Shep. It's cool to finally meet you." Shep said and helped Steven up.
"So... you and Sadie have been dating for almost two months?" Steven asked.
"That is true." Shep said.
"You know, at lotta people say you don't really know someone until you've been stranded on an island with them." Steven exclaimed.
"What? People say that?" Shep asked.
"Yeah." Steven replied.
"Well... we're gonna go grab some cake before we go on at 7:00." She said, wrapping an arms around Sadie's shoulders, which made her laugh.
"Yeah." Saide replied.
"Wait. Sadie. Isn't that when you're singing with the Suspects?" Steven asked.
"Actually, I was thinking of doing a song with Shep." Sadie said.
"Oh, uh, cool. Can't wait to hear it." Steven said.
"We'll catch you later, Steven." Shep said.
They then walked away, over to where the food and cake was.
"Steven are you okay?"
Steven turns to see Jamie looking at him, worried "What was that just now?"
"I'm fine, really, so you came to the party too?" Steven said, giving him a soft smile.
"Yeaaah I am a fan of some of the Sadie's songs too you know, plus a mentor wants to see his students succeed. Well, I'm going to get some cake. You want some?"
"No thanks, I'll grab some later"
Lars was about to pass Steven to go over to the food table but Steven stopped him.
"I wouldn't go over there right now." Steven said.
"Is something wrong with the cake?" Lars asked, concerned.
"What? No, no. Sadie and Shep are over there." Steven said to Lars.
"Oh, cool. I'll go and say hi." Lars said and started to walk over.
"H-Hold on!" Steven exclaimed, making Lars stop. "A-are you okay?"
"Yeah, are you okay?" Lars asked Steven and then walked over to the others.
"...Why wouldn't I be?" Steven asked.
Steven then noticed Jenny sitting on the stage, he then floated up and sat next to her.
"Hey, Steven! Looks like everyone's enjoying the graduation so far." Jenny said to Steven.
"Yep. Everyone but me." Steven said and then sighed.
"I guess, it seems like everyone's got something new going on."
"Yeah. It's not a bad thing, though. Sour Cream has regular gigs as a DJ in Empire City. Buck got into medical school. He's gonna be saving lives in, like, 20 years, and I've been full steam ahead on jackets for phones." Jenny explained.
"What's that?" Steven asked.
"It's my new online business! We, and by we, I mean I, make the finest jackets perfectly sized for your mobile device!" Jenny explained, showing Steven one of her jackets for phones.
"Aw, it's got little pockets." Steven said and then gasped.
"And a little phone in one of the pockets! Everyone on the planet is going to want one of these. How are you going to make the time?"
"Well, I'm gonna have plenty of time now that the Suspects are breaking up." Jenny said.
"What?!" Steven exclaimed.
"Did Sadie not tell you?" Jenny asked.
"Uhh..." Steven didn't know what to say. "Hey Steven!"
Steven looked and saw Sadie and Shep.
"Are you ready for us?" Sadie asked.
"Oh! Right! Wait, I-I-I've got to introduce you." Steven stuttered and went over to the microphone on its stand. "Hey. Is every-everyone having a good time tonight?"
The crowd then cheered a bit as Sadie and Shep came up on stage.
"Who here loves Sadie Killer and the Suspects? Well, our band tonight has...only one of them." Steven said.
"Oh geez." Lars said from the crowd.
"So, yeah, here's, uh- what's your new band called?" Steven asked.
"Um, we don't have a name yet." Sadie said.
"Uh, heh, well, you should've asked me, um, I'm really good at naming bands..." Steven said, before walking off stage. Sadie and Shep then walked over to where the mic was set up.
"This is just a little something Shep and I have been putting together, and-and we really hope you like it." Sadie said.
"We welcome any and all critique after the show." Shep said.
Shep then started the play there instrument and Sadie started to sing.
"When I was younger,
And I hated fun.
I was always looking back,
On what I should have done.
I used to live
My life in fear.
Of the terrable performances
That brought me here.
But,
I'm looking forward,
I'm looking forward,
I'm looking forward now.
I'm looking forward,
I'm looking forward,
I'm looking forward now."
Lars then walked away from the crowd.
"Lars?" Steven asked. "Oh, Hey, Steven." Lars said walking by them.
"Lars, wait up." Steven said, following him
"Hey, Lars, where are you going?" Steven asked. Lars then stopped and faced his friend.
"I think I'm gonna bounce. I just wanted to be here for the crew. These big parties aren't really my thing." Lars explained.
"But, you're leaving the planet tomorrow, aren't you? When am I- I mean, when am I going to see you again?" Steven asked.
"You two can visit me whenever. I'm like, your magic portal, remember?" Lars said, walking away.
"W-w-wait! Don't go yet." Steven exclaimed.
"It's been real, Steven." Lars said, waving to him as he kept walking off.
"Lars...STOP!" Steven yelled, turning pink again. This caused Holly to gasp.
"Steven-" Lars started to say until he was interrupted by a diamond shield blocking his way.
Suddenly, more layers and layers of diamonds joined the first one, forming a dome to shut everyone from the graduation inside. Steven looked at the metalic bubble , thinking what he has done?
Lars then banged on the force field Steven made.
"Steven! What are you doing?" Lars yelled, facing Steven.
"Sorry, I-I don't know how I did this." Steven said.
"Well, just fix it." Lars said.
"Right, right, yeah, okay, umm..." Steven said.
He then tried to focus and grunted trying to make the force field.
After a minute of nothing happening Steven stopped.
"Huh..." Steven said.
"You do know how this happened?" Jamie asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I think this dome activated as a reaction to some powerful feelings someone here has been bottling up. And I guess we all know who that is...Lars!" Steven exclaimed, pointing at Lars.
"What are you talking about?!" Lars exclaimed.
The situation turned on their heads...again.
"We won't be able to leave until you work out your feelings towards Sadie!" Steven yelled, pointing to Sadie.
And Steven was't making it any easier with his accusations either
"You guys haven't even talked sense you got back."
"We did, though..." Sadie said, blushing of embarrassment. "Look, Steven. The two of us tried to reconnect a few times, but, we both just...grew apart."
"Sadie knows I miss her, but she knows how happy I am that she found someone better for her." Lars explained.
"Awww." Shep said. "And Lars knows I'm really glad he found himself in space with his new gem friends." Sadie explained.
"But when did this happen?! I didn't see any of this!" Steven exclaimed.
"That's because it was private." Sadie said, looking away. Everyone stayed silent for a bit.
"But, I thought you were only leaving because you were jealous of Shep." Steven exclaimed to Lars.
"I'm leaving because I like being in space. There are still adventures waiting for us out there. We can take what we learned to other planets!" Lars exclaimed, talking about him and the Off Colors.
"But if there's nothing to work out..." Steven said to himself.+ Steven then looked at everyone staring at him. "Is it getting claustrophobic in here or..." He was asking but was interrupted when a shadow fell over them, blocking out the moonlight. Everyone looked up nervously as if being trapped in a giant orb isn't enoguh for them.
"What's happening?" Lars asked. "wait isn't that the Diamonds ship?"
Steven strained his eyes and made out a green diamond-shaped spaceship. "That's not the Diamonds," he said.
A loud voice boomed above them "YOU TRAITOROUS OFF COLORS! I found you at long last! Return my Sun Incinerator immediately or else!"
"Emerald," Steven yelled. "Lars stole her ship to get home a couple of years ago."
On board Emerald's ship, she noticed that the off colors and Steven universe were srrounded by a strange pink coloured bubble around area.
"It seems or enemies are in tough position" Riot said from behind her
"Really? Then my threatens are of no use if the blasters won't shred them to pieces" Emerald said
"We can still take down the city but before that, maybe we should go down there, I have a better idea" Riot said with evil thoughts in mind
Everyone was waiting in the bubble for Emerald's next move
"huuh she isn't attacking"?
Surprisingly she lowered her ship to the beach shores, landing it
The shuttle entrance opened up revealing two figures.
A former gem general of Yellow Diamond Emerald.
And the other was unknown to the most, he looked like a human, with silver white hair and golden yellow eyes staring right through the shield.
Steven and Jamie though recognised him "RIOT?!"
"Ouh so you do remember me? How touching" Riot taunted
This is the worst case scenario for sure now
'No no no no. This can't be happening! I must call the gems!" Steven searched for his phone ut soon remembed he left it in the car
"Don't bother Universe. Instead of wasting your time and oxygen inside, you better thin on our offer. Where is the sun incinerator?" Riot said
"It's been over two years!" Lars yelled, hands in the air. "Give it a rest, lady!"
Emerald flinched at that before hitting the shield "I said give me back what is mine Captain."
"But..." Lars said, clearly fighting with his pride. But then he remembered that they were safe in shield, they can't do anything to them.
"Wait a minute. And what will you do if we won't? We are not exactly getting out of here either way!" Lars exclaimed
"Lars!" Steven shouted as Riot placed his hand on the shield
"Maybe...but what if I do this?" Riot answered menacingly
At first nothing happened but then, in response to what Riot said, the dome started to get smaller around them.
"Steven! You wanna get ride of this dome already!?" Jenny exclaimed.
"But I didn't….It's not me!" Steven yelled
The dome was closing in a little before stopping as Emerald repeated "Where is the sun incinerator? Tell us and maybe we'll reconsider destroying you"
Lars didn't trust them but for his friend and his team, he has to do this.
Lars pointed his thumb behind him. "The Off Colors parked it behind my shop this morning. You must have been close enough to track it."
He pointed towards the small bakery
"Good choice. Emerald you can go over there and pick up the ship, I have to do something first" Riot said
"Very well. See that they don't do anything sneaky again" Emerald said
Emerald made her way to the bakery as Riot kept staring at Steven and his friends inside the shield
"How did you do that?" Steven asked
"Ouh you mean lowering the dome? Well I have an ability to affect emotions, and this shield is one big bottled emotion..."
Steven looked nervous
"...Such emotions are easy to control. And that's not all I can do either" Riot finished before he placed his hand on the dome again.
They suspected what he was about to do this time
"Wait but you said -" Jamie was saying
Riot simply responded with "I lied"
He said as Steven's shiled began to shorten again with no stops
The people trapped went over to the sides to try and stop it.
"Okay. I can control this. I've just got to think real hard!" Steven exclaimed.
"Hey, Steven?" Shep asked.
"Not now, Shep. I need to concentrate." Steven said.
"Just, hear me out-"
"Look! If I don't figure out a way how to get rid of this dome, all my friends are going to die!" Steven exclaimed.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Lars said.
"Well, but, from what I heard , your magics' are based off your feelings, right? I don't know. It just seems like you are sad about all your friends drifting away, so you trapped us all in this dome to keep us from leaving." Shep explained.
"I don't see the connection." Steven said.
"Tik tok think fast or you'll be squeashed" Riot smirked at them, reminding of the time limit
"Maybe, you're trying to figure yourself out right now, and you want your friends around to help you through it." Shep said.
"It's just that, I've always been trying to help my friends! I don't know who I am without them!" Steven exclaimed.
"Steven, you're great, but you need to let us live our own lives." Sadie said.
"If you don't give people room to grow, you'll suffocate them. In this case, literally." Shep exclaimed.
"Steven if you really love your friends, you have to let them go" Jamie said
"I know. I don't want to hold any of you back. I just can't help it if my dumb heart misses you guys." Steven said, everyone getting pressed up against each other because of the dome.
"Awww, Steven!" Jenny exclaimed.
"We'll still be your friends." Sadie said.
"Even if we're light-years away." Lars said.
"You guys..." Steven said as he sounded like he was about to cry.
Steven then turned normal and then the dome dissipated, freeing everyone. Everyone fell over with a thud.
"Steven you did it" Jamie exclaimed
"He did it huh" Riot said
Taking out his shield, Steven stood up to Riot as did the Off-colors, with Jamie, Shep and former suspects standing back
"Hm so you got out. Well then I'll just destroy every last one of you!"
They were about to fight each other but then the Sun Incinerator slowly rose hundreds of feet above Beach City before stopped.
Everyone was looking right aove the front of Emerald's giant warship before Lars eyes widened.
"Steven," Lars said. "he activates the weapons!"
"HA!" Emerald shrieked, her face suddenly appearing in front of them. "We never planned to leave you alone in the first place! We wanted to destroy Steven U niverse adn hi friends with their own ship that's been tainted by off-colored scum!"
"Emerald!" Steven yelled at her face on the large screen. "You don't have to do this!"
"Ouh but she wants to." Riot replied "You taught the gems to do what they want"
"And this is what I want" Emerald exclaimed
"Steven, we need to move!" Lars said.
Steven looked around. His heart was racing. He needed to get them out of here.
The ship blasters now are fully charged and ready to fire.
The sun incinerator however didn't fire.
"What? Why isn't it working?!" Emerald yelled
"Here you go!" Larimar said as she and Blue Lace pushed Emerald out of her seat before Snowaflake froze her to the wall
The screen now show Blue Lace, breaing good news to the captain
"BLUE LACE!? You did it!" Lars yelled surprised but gratefull to see that his ship wasn't getting taken from them
He then looked bakc at Riot, confident now at the situation "Well well now who's getting destroyed?"
Riot looked at Lars then at Steven and Off-colors and then back on the screen
"So be it then" Riot said as he then was enveloped in black shades as he disappears from their sight
They looked around with Blue Lace checking the surface from the ship above and confirmed that he was gone, adn they noticed that Emerald was gone too.
They didn't know how but were sure that's not the last they seen of them.
The others then felt relief and cheered up.
"Hm. Not one of the worst parties I've been to. See ya, Steven." Jenny said as her, Sour cream, and Bunk left.
"It was nice seeing you again." Sadie said, walking up to the two with Shep.
"Yeah. You guys are a really good couple, and we really like your sound." Steven said.
"I liked your song earlier" Jamie added
"Want a CD?" Shep asked.
"Have any cassette tapes?" Steven asked.
"I got you right here." Shep then took out a cassette tape from there bag and gave it to Steven.
"Take it easy!" Shep exclaimed and then walked away with Sadie.
Lars then approached Steven. "So, yeah,Steven. Me and the crew are gonna..." Lars said and then blew a raspberry, signaling that they are gonna leave.
"Lars...I'm-I'm really sorry." Steven said, looking down at the ground.
"Yeah. I guess, it's kind of cute how bad you don't want me to leave." Lars said.
"Of course I don't want you to leave!" Steven exclaimed.
"Buck up, man." Lars said, punching him in the shoulder a bit. "Just come and visit."
"It's just, for a second, we were all home together again." Steven said and sighed. "I don't think I like graduations. Maybe I should quit running Little Homeschool."
Jamie gives him a saddened look
"Hey." Lars said, wrapping an arm around Steven's shoulders.
"Come here."
Steven then turned and hugged Lars, startling him a bit but Lars hugged back.
"...Are you gonna let me go any time soon?" Lars asked Steven.
"Uhm just give him a couple more minutes." Jamie said
After Steven let go of Lars, Lars and the Off Colors left, which made Steven sad.
The next day Steven came to his school as a teacher for one last time
"Steven can we help you with anything? Jamie told us what happeend with Emerald" Volleyball asked
"It's good Pink but right now I wanna be alone" Steven said
Looking Forward plays as Steven looks to Little Homeschool welcoming new student, though saddened.
He then drives to a forest and lays atop his car, staring into the night sky and reflecting on what his next calling should be.